Voting machine



Dec. 11, 1934. A. N. GUSTAVSON VOTING MACHINE Filed April 23, 1951gmknbc FIE! H H m whim v .l H 5 U G m V L A Patented Dec. 11, 1934VOTING MACHINE Alvin N. Gustavson, Jamestown, N. Y., assignor toAutomatic Voting Machine Corporation, a

corporation of Delaware ApplicationApril 23, 1931, Serial No. 532,154

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in voting machines of the typein which votes are cast by the manipulation of indicators and moreparticularly toa means for controlling the operation of certain of theindicators during an election.

The preferred embodiment of this invention :discloses means in a votingmachine for connecting or disconnecting at will the indicators orpointers from a party row lever to permit the casting .of .a ballot inaccordance with the voting laws of all localities.

At general elections in localities where straight party voting ispermitted a party lever is provided, the manipulation of whichsimultaneously casts a ballot for every candidate of the party. It notinfrequently occurs that certain non-partisan candidates are up forelection, that is, candidates who are not specifically affiliated withany of the parties and for whom a vote, independent of the party vote,must be cast. It is, therefore, the primary object of the invention toprovide means for connecting or disconnecting any or all indicators fromthe party row lever to permit non-partisan voting.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which, whencertain indicators which do not represent candidates or questions, maybe concealed and prevented from manipulation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means, in a votingmachine, for preventing the registering of all indicators which do notrepresent candidates or questions.

Other and further objects of the invention will be more clearlyunderstood from a consideration of the following specification which istaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, and in which Fig. 1is a fragmentary front elevation of a voting machine, showing thequestion indicators, the candidate indicators and party levers;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of an indicator at the extremeright of a party row;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3of Figure 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view from the front of the machine, showing therelative positions of the elements of this invention; and

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view, showing how some of theessential elements of this invention are assembled.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Fig. 1, the voting machine,generally indicated by the reference numeral 10, is represented. Theface of the machine as shown is comprised of a keyboard 12 on which ismounted a row of question indicators 13 and two rows of candidateindicators 14.

Party levers 16 are mounted on the keyboard 12 by brackets 17 which arelocated at the extreme left of each row of indicators 14. A vertical rod18, which is mounted on the brackets 17. serves as a pivot for all oflevers 16.

the party slightly below each row of candidate indicators 14. Interposedbetween each pair of bars 19 and movable relative thereto, is anintermediate bar 21. This intermediate bar is provided with lugs 22, thepurpose of which will later be set forth.

The indicators 14 project through and to the rear of the keyboard 12 towhich they are pivotally secured by means of lock nuts 23.

Integral with, and extending radially from the axis of each indicator,is a short lever 24 which projects into the space between parallel bars19.

The lever 24 lies substantially in the same plane with the bar 21 andbetween a pair of lugs 22.

Close to the upper edge of the bars 19 and co-axially located are smallopenings 26. Each bar 19 contains the same number of openings as thereare candidate indicators in the row. The co-axial openings 26 areadapted to engage and support pins 27. It will be noted from Figure 2 ofthe drawing, that the pin 27 lies to the right of the lever 24 and thelug 22 on the bar 21 lies just to the left of said lever. Indicators 14may now be moved into voting position by causing the bars 19 to movetoward the left which brings the pin 27 into engagement with the lever24. The levers 24 may be disengaged from the bar 19 by removing pins 27.The heads 28 of the pins 27 lie in slots 29 which are cut in thekeyboard 12. These slots permit longitudinal movement of the pinsrelative to the keyboard.

Mounted on the keyboard 12 and movable relative thereto is a retainingstrip 31 which serves to hold the pins 27 in place. Openings 32, in saidboard 12 and covering the strip 31 at e channel shaped ballot labelholders 33, the side walls of which terminate in inturned flanges 34.These holders support slidable ballot locking strips 36,

fixed holding strips 3'7 and ballot strips 38. Coaxial openings 39 and41 in the holding strips 37 and holders 33 provide a means for access tothe pins from the exterior.

obtaining Further openings 42 in the locking strip 36 may be made toalign co-axially with the other openings 39 and 41 by sliding said stripto the right, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawing. A small knob 43,which is secured to the retaining strip 31, projects through a slot 44in the locking strip 36. Through this knob it is possible to move theretaining strip 31 so that the opening 32 therein will lie on the sameaxis with openings 26, 39, 41 and 42.

When it is found advisable to block out certain indicators in a partyrow, the pins 27 which are nearest'these indicators are removed andlocking clips 46 placed over said indicators. prevent the voter frommanipulating the unused indicators.

When the party lever 16 is moved to the dotted line position shown inFigure 1, the bars 19 move to the left. Pins 27 engage levers 24 andcause indicators 14 to move to the dotted line position shown in thesame figure. The levers 24 rotate clockwise about the axis of theindicators until the extreme left position of the bar 19 has beenreached.

Although applicant has shown and described but one modification of hisinvention, he does not intend to be limited thereto since it is obviousto those skilled in the art that other modifications or adaptations maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asset forth in the hereunto annexed claims.

Having thus set forth my invention what I These clips claim as new andfor which I desire protection by Letters Patent is:

1. In a voting machine having a face plate, a row of candidateindicators on the face plate, a party lever, bars adjacent the rear ofthe face plate of said machine connected with said party lever, a pinprojecting through suitable openings in said bars to operate anindicator, said face plate having a slot for receiving thehead of saidpin, and permitting normal movement of said bars by manipulation of saidparty lever, a strip on said face plate, said strip having an openingand being movable to two positions, in one of which said openingregisters with said slot to permit removal of said pin from said barsand in the second position said opening is out of registry with saidslot, said pin being then retained in operative position by said strip.

2. In a voting machine having a face plate, a row of candidateindicators on said face plate, a party lever, bars adjacent the rear ofthe. face plate connected with said party lever, a pin supported solelyby said bars to operate an indicator, said face plate having a slot forreceiving the head of said pin and permitting normal movement of saidpin with said bars by manipulation of said party lever, said head. beingflush with said face plate, a strip on said face plate, said stripserving to retain said pin in operative position in said bars.

ALVIN N. GUSTAVSON.

